Menstrual Cycle/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Cassie and Rita Cassie and Rita are in a school gym. Rita is holding a letter. RITA: Dear Cassie and Rita, What happens when— Rita is cut off by a squeaking sound. Tim and Moby wheel in a blackboard with basketball play drawn on it. Tim is dressed in athletic gear. TIM: Hey guys, sorry I'm late! Just give me the signal and I'll jump in! Moby flips the blackboard over, revealing a diagram of the female reproductive system drawn on the other side. CASSIE: Uh, Tim? TIM: What? No good? Cuz I've got the drawing and, um… RITA: Yeah, I don't think this is gonna work. CASSIE: How about we take it from here? MOBY: Beep! Moby wheels the blackboard away and Tim inches off screen awkwardly. RITA: See you, Moby! CASSIE: Bye, guys! RITA: Dear Cassie and Rita, What happens when you get your period? When do you get it? I'm a little scared! Please help! Thanks, Alexandra. CASSIE: First of all, Alexandra, there's nothing to be scared of! RITA: Right! Getting your period is a natural part of growing up. As you mature, your body goes through changes. You'll get taller, grow body hair, and your breasts and hips might develop more. This is all part of puberty, the process of becoming an adult. An animation shows a silhouette of young girl morphing into a taller female figure with wider hips and a larger chest. CASSIE: Puberty is triggered by chemicals in the body called hormones. And some of them tell your body to start releasing eggs. RITA: An egg can grow into a baby when it's fertilized by a sperm cell. An an animation shows multiple sperm cells swimming toward an egg. A sperm cell penetrates the egg. RITA: The fertilized egg grows inside an organ called the uterus. Over nine months, it grows from just a few cells into a fetus, and finally a newborn baby! An image shows the reproductive system inside a female silhouette. An animation shows a close-up of the uterus, where the fertilized cell grows into a fetus. CASSIE: But before this process can begin, the uterus has to prepare itself. Its inner lining thickens and folds, giving the fertilized egg something to attach to. It also grows new blood vessels, to deliver everything the fetus will need. An animation shows an empty womb. A close-up image shows the uterine lining thickening and folding. RITA: You know, things like nutrients, water, and oxygen! CASSIE: Here's the thing, though: when the egg isn't fertilized, your body has no need for that extra tissue. So it gets rid of it! That's your period, or menstruation! An animation shows an egg in the uterus. It disappears and the thickened uterine wall begins to shed and flow out of the uterus. CASSIE:Once it's over, the lining starts building up again, waiting for another egg. The whole process is called the menstrual cycle, and it repeats every 28 days or so. An image shows a 28-day calendar. RITA: Here's how it breaks down. Hundreds of thousands of tiny eggs are stored inside your ovaries, two small organs on either side of the uterus. An image shows the female reproductive system, with two ovaries filled with small eggs. RITA: The menstrual cycle begins when one of those eggs starts maturing. About two weeks later, right in the middle of the cycle, the egg emerges. This is called ovulation. The egg is ready to be fertilized as it travels through one of the fallopian tubes. It reaches the uterus in about a week, and drifts slowly downward. A close-up animation of an ovary shows one of the eggs growing and travelling from the ovary through the fallopian tube. It eventually enters the uterus. CASSIE: A fertilized egg will attach to the wall and start developing. An unfertilized egg falls apart, and the lining sheds its extra layers. Like we said before, that's your period. A split-screen shows a uterus with a fertilized egg and a uterus with an unfertilized egg. The fertilized egg attaches to the thickened wall of the uterus. The unfertilized egg shrinks and disappears while the thickened lining sheds and flows out of the uterus. RITA: Menstrual fluid, the stuff that comes out, is usually reddish-brown in color. Over the course of a few days to a week, you'll shed about one to two ounces. But every girl's flow is different, and it can vary over the course of a period. An image shows a calendar with 3 days marked off. It changes to show seven days crossed off. RITA: To absorb the fluid, you can use pads, liners, tampons, or some combination. They might be uncomfortable at first, but you get used to them. An image shows boxes of pads, liners, and tampons. RITA: You can ask an adult or a big sister to help figure out which is right for you. CASSIE: By the way, the hormonal changes that control your cycle can be a little annoying. You might get pimples just before or during your period. You might feel cramps or feel tired, or even a little grouchy. Images show red pimples on a face, a woman clutching her lower back in pain, and a girl frowning. RITA: Don't worry, it's okay. Talk to a trusted adult about how you can feel more comfortable. And if you really need them, your parents can give you pain relievers. Images show a hot water bottle, feet walking, someone stretching, a cup of hot tea, a book, and a bubble bath. Another image shows a bottle of pain relievers. RITA: Odds are, you'll only have to deal with your period for a few days each month. But individual cycles can be shorter or longer, and they can change over time. Images show a calendar of July and a calendar of August side by side. July has days 11-14 marked off. August has days 8-10 marked off. CASSIE: It's hard to say when you'll get your first period. The average age is about 12, but many get it earlier or later. When you first start, you may not get your periods regularly. You might even miss one. It can take months for your body to settle into a pattern. Images show the calendars of January, February, March, and April. January 29-31, February 23-25, and April 15-17 are marked off. Nothing is marked in March. RITA: In the meantime, just pay attention to your body and stay prepared. And image shows a woman putting a tampon into a purse. RITA: Getting your period might seem scary, but half the people on Earth go through these changes. It's all part of growing up, so try not to stress too much about it. An image shows a group of women, from teenagers to middle aged women. CASSIE: Focus on other things instead, you know, like the book report that's due tomorrow. RITA: It's due tomorrow?! Rita runs off. Rita shouts from off-screen. RITA: I'm OK! Category:BrainPOP Transcripts